.

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." --Ghandi

---

"We will have to repent in this generation not merely
for the hateful words and actions of the bad people
but for the appalling silence of the good people."

Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929­1968),
U.S. clergyman, civil rights leader.
Why We Can't Wait,
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” (1963).

---

One Day………

Youngsters will learn words they will not understand.
Children from India will ask:
What is Hunger?
Children from Alabama will ask:
What is racial segregation?
Children from Hiroshima will ask:
What is the atomic bomb?
Children at school will ask:
What is war?
You will answer them.
You will tell them:
Those words are not used any more,
Like Stagecoaches, galleys, or slavery-
Words no longer meaningful.
That is why they have been removed from dictionaries.

-Martin Luther King Jr.

---

"It is not enough to be compassionate. You must act."

Tenzin Gyatso (14th Dalai Lama), 1999

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed., it's the only thing that ever has."

Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hm? Mmmm. And well you should not. For my ally is the Force.  Life creates it, makes it grow. It's energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you.  Here, between you...me...the tree...the rock...everywhere!

"If you have come to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound with mine - then let us work together." 
- Unknown Aboriginal Woman

"HOPE"

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, DON'T BE AFRAID.YOU ARE NOT ALONE, YOU NEVER WERE.YOU HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR.FEAR IS YOUR ONLY CHAIN, BREAK THE CHAIN.THEY CAN’T HOLD YOU WITH THEIR LIES, THE TRUTH IS YOUR FREEDOM. NORMAL IS WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE. DON'T BE ASHAMED  OF WHO YOU ARE, WHOEVER THAT MAY BE. YOU ARE LOVED, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CARE. LOVE IS NEVER WRONG. FOLLOW YOUR HEART, AND YOU WILL FIND YOUR DREAMS.DON’T LOSE YOUR FAITH, EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE.LOVE YOURSELF, AND LOVE WILL FIND YOU.DON’T LOSE HOPE,  DREAMS CAN BECOME REALITY.NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS,  NEVER GIVE UP.

- Jordan Carter

Eleanor Roosevelt wrote:

Many people will walk in and out of your life,
But only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.
Anger is only one letter short of danger.
If someone betrays you once, it is his fault;
If he betrays you twice, it is your fault
Great minds discuss ideas;
Average minds discuss events;
Small minds discuss people.
He who loses money, loses much;
He, who loses a friend, loses much more;
He, who loses faith, loses all.
Beautiful young people are accidents of nature,
But beautiful old people are works of art.
Learn from the mistakes of others.
You can't live long enough to make them all yourself.
Friends, you and me....You brought another friend....
And then there were 3.  We started our group....
Our circle of friends....And like that circle....
There is no beginning or end..Yesterday is history.
Tomorrow is mystery.  Today is a gift.

I Celebrate Diversity

I Celebrate my sisters and brothers who are the colors of the rainbow. I Celebrate those who are physically different than me.  I Celebrate the spectrum of sexual orientations. I Celebrate those who are citizens of countries around our world. I Celebrate the
different spiritual powers that give us guidance and comfort. I’ m proud to Celebrate diversity.  Won’ t you join me in Celebrating
our world?

THE FIRST STEP

To take the first step
is a frightening thing.
To face the unknown
The uncertainty it brings.
But like the child
Who is tired of the crawl,
The first step is
The most important of all.

It expands your horizons,
You can see a new light.
The joy of discovery
Is like taking flight.
The first step you take
Will open all doors,
To see yourself as
You’ve seen you before.

And, like the child
Who gives it his all,
Sometimes he falters,
He will teeter and fall.
But strong arms are there
To catch him and then,
They stand him back up
To start walking again.

The longest journey,
Takes one step at  a time,
But once you get going
You’ll do just fine.
Take my hand, friend
I’ll help you along
I’ll be right beside you...
As two we’ll be strong.

Yes, that first step’s a big one,
The most important of all.
But I’ll be there to catch you
Should you teeter and fall.
We’ll set our sights forward
Grit our teeth and walk on...
When we see that road ending,
We’ll break into a run.

I love you, I’ll help you
All the way through.
But to take that first step,
Well...that’s up to you.

 Robina Turner Gordon

 This is a good way to show how we can recognize and celebrate our differences (diversity) and at the same time promote unity.

As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,
We became one color.
As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building
We became one class.
As we lit candles of waiting and hope
We became one generation.
As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno
We became one gender.
As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength,
We became one faith.
As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement,
We spoke one language.
As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,
We became one body.
As we mourned together the great loss
We became one family.
As we cried tears of grief and loss
We became one soul.
As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heros
We become one people.

We are
One color
One class
One generation
One gender
One faith
One language
One body
One family
One soul
One people

We are The Power of One.
We are United.
We are America.

There are those of us who can walk the streets
of bigotry, racism, poverty, hate and genocide,
and not feel their presence. Living, sleeping, loving
with these evils clinging to our skins, we soon believe it is our fate to live with them.
We begin to think it is wrong to change the forces that hold us down.
But once justice begins to rear her face,
you begin to feel her piercing your conscience.
Finally, you are willing to fight for change."

-- Sylvia Delgado

The Pink Triangle Story

Everyone knows about the Holocaust, during World War II that took more than six million Jewish lives. But many do not realize that other groups also were targeted for extinction, including the mentally retarded, Gypsies, and homosexual men and women. Nearly a quarter-million gay men and lesbians perished in Hitler's death camps. Prisoners were forced to wear identifying symbols on their symbols on their sleeves. People of Jewish descent were identified by a yellow Star of David. Homosexual men and women were branded by a pink triangle. Today, it is a symbol of liberation and pride worn on buttons, lapel pins, tee-shirts, even car bumpers to remind gay and lesbian people of the oppression they have suffered historically and to signal their refusal to be silent victims again.

There is a story that relates directly to the witness we invite you to make today.  When Denmark fell to the Nazi armies in 1940, the German occupation authorities immediately decreed that all Jews wear the yellow Star of David on their sleeves at all times, to facilitate their identification for transit to the concentration camps. Legend has it that the very next morning King Christian X, the aging Danish monarch, came out of the palace for his morning walk wearing a yellow Star of David on his coat, thus expressing his solidarity with the prosecuted minority. Word quickly spread about this silent and non-violent act of defiance and soon many other Danes wearing the symbol on their sleeves. Though historians disagree about the actual prevalence of this simple act of Danish resistance, there is no doubt that the population's compassion and resistance contributed to the fact that almost all of Denmark's Jews survived the barbarism of the holocaust that took the lives of most European Jews.

Gay, lesbian and bisexual people continue to face legal persecution in many parts of the United States. Fully one-half of the states have sodomy laws which make private sexual contact between consenting adults of the same gender illegal and punishable offenses.

Texas A&M University, Gay and Lesbian Student Services Speaker's Bureau Manual (1993)
 
 

The Pink Triangle

The pink triangle was used by the Nazis to
identify and persecute gays lesbians and bisexuals the same way the yellow star was used for jews.  About 250,000 Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual people were murdered during WWII. In the 1970's activists began using the triangle to identify themselves, to call attention to this overlooked chapter of history, to show pride & to represent the struggle for Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual people around the globe whose freedom & safety remain in peril.

Residence Life Professionals Working to Live A Non-Violent Lifestyle Believes:

It is better to LOVE than hate.
It is better to build FRIENDSHIPS than enemies.
It is important to build community.
It is essential to COMMUNICATE with others.
It is important to treat others with RESPECT.
That all human beings make MISTAKES.
In the potential for human beings to CHANGE.
It is important to make FAIR decisions.
That we are engaged in a human rights struggle.
That we are engaged in the DEVELOPMENT of the HUMAN RACE.
In CELEBRATING THE DIVERSITY of all people.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

YANKEE GOOK REDNECK    SELLOUT FATSO REPUBLICAN    DYKE WOP KIKE BASTARD    RACIST DAWG SLANT-EYE SLUT
FAGGOT HO NERD TOWNIE    CONSERVATIVE RICE-EATER    CRACKER GEEK PIG QUEER    DEMOCRAT WASP BITCH CHINK
SAVAGE LAZY SNOT JAP LESBO    REDSKIN FASCIST SLAVE    HOMELY HOMOPHOBE MAC-DADDY    GIRL STUPID TRASH
FREAK OPPRESSOR UNCLE TOM    PUSHOVER

Today was a beautiful day in our peaceful neighborhood. The colors were vibrant, the    birds were singing as the squirrels scurried by. Every color of the rainbow was represented, shining brightly, both separately and dually. Each color complimented the other. The weather was at its best and added to the peaceful climate of the neighborhood.  The day couldn’ t have been more perfect, just like everything and everybody in our neighborhood.

By Tom Balistrieri

We Wha (WEE Wha) was the tallest and strongest of the Zunis and there are records of We Whas brave deeds as a guardian of the people. If a child needed comfort it was We Wha who offered the affection and kind words necessary to make the child feel better. If there was Justice to be doled out, then We Whas wisdom and strong hand were involved. We Wha was known as the best weaver, potter, farmer and housekeeper of the tribe and when the most sacred of ceremonies was to be held it was We Wha who was asked to lead the prayers and songs. It is believed that We Wha, who died in 1896, was the most influential and greatest Zuni that ever lived.

We Wha was what the Zuni people call, Lhamana. Anthropologists refer to We Wha as a berdache. As is typical of our ethnocentristic culture and language, a berdache is simply defined as, "A person, usually a male who assumes the sexual identity and is granted the social status of the opposite gender." The etymology of the word, berdache, tells us the word sprang from terms inferring one who was a slave or prisoner.

We Wha was a slave to no one and definitely not a prisoner. More importantly We Wha, and the berdaches of over 130 different nations of this earth, were much more than simply men or women who cross-dressed. The people of these nations believed that there were not just two genders of human beings, and in fact, some nations recognized upwards of 16 different genders. All of the genders had a gift to bring to the people and in most cases, the berdache was the most revered because they manifested and embodied a balance of what was best of both the female and male.

A berdache was usually a man who, at a very young age, recognized they were drawn to both male and female tasks and roles. The families of these youngsters did not attempt to repress the child but in fact celebrated the fact that their son was berdache, and the entire society performed a ceremony to recognize the child as a berdache.

In our culture, when we discuss someone as being gay or lesbian, we immediately jump to their sexual orientation. We are blinded by sex and by our two pronged definition of gender. To be a berdache is to be equally interested and skilled in those things that are typically male and female. A male berdache does not simply wear the clothes of a female or a male, they wear clothes and styles that are berdache. They are clothes and styles that could be best defined as a combination of male and female clothing. A berdache was usually very spiritually gifted, serving as a healer or shaman. A berdache, such a We Wha, was usually one of the most gifted and skilled artisans in the tribe taking on both male and female tasks with equal aplomb. The berdache usually did play El passive role in male/male sexual encounters but a berdache did not have sex with other berdaches nor was a male who has a sexual interlude with a berdache regarded as homosexual or bi-sexual.

As you can see there is so much to comprehend. So much to learn and understand. For centuries no one has attempted to understand, the Spanish and French tortured and killed the berdache of the nations they conquered. The Christian missionaries did the same and so the berdache was nearly obliterated from the earth.

Berdaches do exist today and people are finally beginning to understand that being different is not synonymous with being bad, sinful or dangerous. That in fact, those that are different may be carrying some of the greatest gifts.

I offer this article in the spirit of awareness and with the hope you will open your eyes and heart to the diversity that exists all around you. It is not always easy to accept such concepts as berdache, such extreme examples of diversity. Closing our eyes and hearts has only lead to pain and destruction, eternal battles of right vs. wrong, good vs. bad, male vs. female, straight vs. gay, black vs. white, on and on. To appreciate diversity is to appreciate that there are MANY combinations of color, gender, thought, belief and every other factor you can name. To be a wise adult is to accept and foster diversity.

A modern-day, politically-correct holiday greeting: 

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, our best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of 
others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all; and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2002, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures, and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishees. 

By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms.  This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as 
expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher. 

Oh, what the heck: Happy Holidays and Best Wishes for the New Year! 

This message is very simple and can serve as a very important tool in life for all of us, if we choose.  This is what the Dalai Lama had to say at the turn of the Millennium, all it takes is a few seconds to read and think about.  Please share this with as many people as possible, especially in this time of turmoil. 

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 

2. When you lose, you don't lose the lesson. 

3. Follow the three R's:  Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibility of all your actions. 

4.Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck. 

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly. 

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship. 

7. When you realize that you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 

8. Spend some time alone every day. 

9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values. 

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. 

11.  Live a good, honorable life.  Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. 

12.  A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life. 

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation.  Do not bring up the past. 

14. Share your knowledge.  It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth. 

16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before. 

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other. 

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it. 

19.  Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon. 

Remember to pass this message on, this is not a chain letter or message.  Just pass it on, and maybe we can change the way that a few people live their lives. 

People are like stained-glass windows.  They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within. ~~Elizabeth Kübler-Ross~~ 

“Human beings are so made that the ones who do the crushing feel nothing; it is the person
crushed who feels what is happening. Unless one has placed oneself on the side of the oppressed, to feel with them, one cannot understand.” - Simone Weil

You are here because you know something, what you know you can't explain - but you feel it. You felt it your entire life that there is something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is but it is there like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me...do you know what I'm talking about?

"The Matrix"
.